Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA- Special Adviser at the Republic’s Presidency, Luna al-Shebel affirmed that Syria has supported Russia’s right and duty to defend itself, and its land, people, borders and national security in accordance with international law and the UN Charter in the face of the threats of the NATO and the neo-Nazis in Ukraine.
Al-Shebel said in an interview with BBC Arabic on Sunday that the UN Charter, according to Article 51, allows states, in the event of a threat or aggression, to defend themselves, and it does not matter here the interpretation that Western countries want for this article.
She stressed that Syria’s stance is firm and principled in supporting the peoples’ right to defend themselves and that it always takes its decisions calmly and not in the form of reactions, meaning that its position is based on interests, principles and common issues between the Syrian and Russian states.
She noted that Russia was not only threatened, but also presented documents confirming that Ukraine would have launched the aggression against it had it not taken the initiative to defend itself.
Regarding the mobilization of volunteers in Syria to go to Ukraine, al-Shebel said: “In fact, many Syrians have expressed their desire to volunteer and fight alongside Russia in its military operation… but from our knowledge of the development of the field conditions and military operations in Russia, there is no need for volunteers to be present.”
She added “Now, on the other hand, Russia has not formally requested Syrian volunteers from the Syrian state, and therefore the Syrian state cannot take any official action as long as there is no request from Russia in this regard.”
On the impact of Western sanctions and pressures on Russia and the Ukrainian crisis on Syria, al-Shebel said that the annual Syrian budget is according to Syria’s resources and production and it does not depend at all on the Russian government or its resources. As for the crisis, all countries of the world will now be affected.
Al-Shebel noted that, by imposing sanctions on Russia, the West is besieging itself. Western countries have deprived Russia of cosmetics and fashion brands, while Russia can deprive the West of energy, minerals and basic materials, and that the area of Russia is four times the size of the countries that are besieging it, and thus the costs of Western flights will increase.
Al-Shebel said the world is not only the West, and we in Syria are besieged before sanctions are imposed on Russia, and we can secure the basic needs of the citizen through difficult ways, and therefore the West cannot control everything.
Regarding the Israeli attacks on Syria and the Russian response, al-Shebel said that the use of weapons between two countries is related to the existing agreement between them and is not related to personal whims, demands and shouting.
she went on saying “The agreement signed between the Syrian and Russian sides is related to helping Syria in combating terrorism and striking terrorist groups, and there is no provision for protecting the borders. There is no party that can fight a war instead of Syria, but on the political side, because the issue is not only militarily, as Russia has spared no effort and has not stopped communicating with Israel, this usurping, occupying and lying entity.”
She added that Syria has the right to respond to the Israeli attacks, and this right is inalienable, and it will respond according to the circumstances it deems appropriate in the appropriate time and place.
For eleven years, Syria has been fighting in a war against terrorist organizations supported logistically, militarily, and politically by “Israel”, and the terrorists used to return to it to receive treatment and training, and to return to Syria to practice terrorism, and thus we have been fighting in one way or another “Israel” through these tools.
Al-Shebel added that when Syria began to defeat terrorism and liberate the regions from it, and these terrorists could no longer carry out the task as they should carry, “Israel” was forced to enter and launch direct attacks.
She stressed that the liberation of most of the Syrian lands has been through the efforts of the Syrian Arab Army and the supporting forces and with the support of the Russian ally.
She added that the presence of mercenary groups and separatist militias in northeastern Syria is due to the US occupation as those are its tools. On the other hand, there is another occupation, the Turkish one, which invaded these areas before Russia got involved in its latest military operation, noting that the plans of the American in Syria are known, where these mercenaries carry out its orders.
Syria’s communication with many Arab countries has not been interrupted over the past eleven years. President Bashar al-Assad’s visit to the UAE came in this context, and it came after the visit of the Emirati Foreign Minister to Damascus, al-Shebel affirmed.
Al-Shebel said there are those who wanted Syria to be isolated in the media, but the truth was not so, and the bilateral relations between Arab countries do not necessarily pass through the Arab League. As for the issue of Syria’s return to the Arab League, this is a decision of the Arab League itself, and we do not follow the course of what is happening.
In response to a question about relations with Iran, al-Shebel made it clear that Syria and Iran are allies, and when the ally is in a good situation, you are in a good situation and vice versa.
Regarding the work of the Committee of Discussing the Constitution, al-Shebel said, in order to reach constructive proposals, the participants in the dialogue must be Syrians and not only by identity, as the national delegation came from Damascus, but where did the other delegations come from and who put the names.
Ruaa al-Jazaeri
